Countdown to Doctor Who: More with Series Star Matt Smith

Geronimo!

The eleventh hour is upon us as the US premiere of Doctor Who, overseen by new head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat and starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, is set for tomorrow on BBC America. (I caught up with Matt Smith, Karen Gillan, Steven Moffat, and Russell T Davies at last night's fantastic BAFTA/LA screening, Q&A, and cocktail party here in Los Angeles.)

I had the opportunity to speak to Doctor Who's Matt Smith (who replaces David Tennant as the Time Lord known only as the Doctor) and Steven Moffat a few weeks back for a feature piece for The Daily Beast (which you can read here in its entirety), but I wanted to dive back into both interviews to bring you the stuff that you didn't get to read in my original feature. (You can also read my review of the first two episodes here.)

With Doctor Who set to premiere on Saturday on BBC America (with an extended-length episode with limited commercial interruptions), I thought I'd apply even more Who goodness with the rest of the transcript from my one-on-one interview with new series star Matt Smith, who talks with me about getting advice from David Tennant, working with Steven Moffat and Karen Gillan, when it hit him that he was the lead on Doctor Who, and where (and when) he'd like to take the Doctor, among other things. (Part One--more from my one-on-one interview with Steven Moffat--can be found here.)

Televisionary: Did David Tennant give you any advice about stepping into the role of the Doctor?

Matt Smith: Well, we didn’t really talk specifically about the character or stuff like that, but he said, ‘Look, mate, just go and enjoy the ride, because what a ride it is.’ I think with things like this you have to carve out the part in the way you play it yourself.

Televisionary: You and Karen Gillan are both new to the series. Was it less scary to have someone else in the same position as you?

Smith: Yeah, I think that’s quite a nice thing, actually, that we get to share it together. And, my, what a journey we’ve been on. And, of course, there have been huge highs and huge lows. I’m very fortunate because I get on very well with her, which is a real bonus, because if you didn’t get on with the girl who plays the companion, you’d be in real trouble.

Televisionary: How would you describe the Eleventh Doctor in terms of him as a character?

Matt Smith: The Doctor is always The Doctor. But I think this particular Doctor has got a kind of recklessness about him. He’s a bit of a thrill-seeker, a bit of an addict. He has a real lust for time-travel and a real sort of madness, a [sense] that he’s living on the edge.

Televisionary: What did you base your Doctor on? Did you consciously try not to emulate the 10th Doctor or make your Doctor different from all of the incarnations that have come before?

Smith: Yeah, I don’t think you can think about what’s come before you. I think it just has to be an instinctual response to the text that’s in front of you. I tried to do it as clearly and honestly as I could on my terms, in my way, without thinking about any previous incarnations of it. Of course, you wouldn’t want it to be exactly the same but the head writer’s changed as well so the flavor of the show is slightly different as well. But the Doctor is always the Doctor.

Televisionary: What is it like working with Steven Moffat? How would you describe his creative style?

Smith: He’s a genius. I say that unequivocally: he is a complete genius. Russell [T. Davies] made the TV series the most popular show and did that brilliant but I think that Steven [Moffat] has made it the most magic. He’s really turned it into a fairy tale and a magic one. The way he plays with time is extraordinary--actually. It really is--and structurally what he does with it. There are little details in the first episodes that come back up in Episode 12 and you think, how has he managed to weave that into the arc that succinctly and brilliantly? He’s got such wit and intelligence and humor. Steven is truly brilliant.

Televisionary: When was the moment where it hit you that you were actually playing the Doctor?

Smith: Oh, god. I dunno, really. That’s a good question. The first day was really bizarre because I was on the beach and the TARDIS was there and it was quite extraordinary. But I guess it’s when you start thinking about what you’re going to have for lunch: when you forget that you’re sort of saying, “Hello, I’m the Doctor, and I’m this and I’m that,” and you just start doing it instead of thinking about it, really. There have been so many moments. That first day when you shoot [in] the TARDIS, you are unmistakably aware that you’re about to play the most famous part in British television.

Televisionary: What is your favorite part of doing the show so far? What’s been the scariest?

Smith: The first day was pretty scary, to be honest, in terms of days I look back on and go, “Ooof!” But my favorite part? Oh my God, there’s been so many. Karen’s been amazing, the scripts are just so inventive and ingenious. We did some filming out in Croatia for Episode 6, which is about vampires and is brilliant. Richard Curtis wrote a script for us; that was exciting. There’s been so many. They are vast and varied. I could talk about them all day, the highlights.

Televisionary: This season you end up battling vampires in Venice and Van Gogh shows up. What would you like to see happen to the Doctor? Is there anywhere or anywhen you’d like him to travel to?

Smith: I’d quite like him to go to the lost city of Atlantis at the bottom of the ocean. But I think, production-wise, that would cost an absolute fortune, so I don’t know that they ever will. But I’d like to go there and I’d like to visit the dinosaurs. They would be great. If there was some mad dinosaur episode, that would be cool. And Atlantis, if you had to take the TARDIS down into the sea, that would be amazing.

You can read the finished feature for The Daily Beast here, and be sure to read the first part of this series, my in-depth Q&A with Steven Moffat.

Doctor Who premieres Saturday at 9 pm ET/PT on BBC America.

Countdown to Doctor Who: More with Executive Producer Steven Moffat

Geronimo!

With the US premiere of Doctor Who just two days away, anticipation for the new series, overseen by new head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat and starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, is about to reach a fever pitch, thanks to a series of well-timed publicity stops around the country this week.

I had the opportunity to speak to Doctor Who's Steven Moffat and Matt Smith (who replaces David Tennant as the Time Lord known only as the Doctor) a few weeks back for a feature piece for The Daily Beast (which you can read here in its entirety), but wanted to dive back into both interviews to bring you the stuff that you didn't get to read in my original feature. (You can also read my review of the first two episodes here.)

With Doctor Who set to premiere on Saturday on BBC America (with an extended-length episode with limited commercial interruptions), I thought I'd spend the next two days offering up the offcuts from that feature. First up: Steven Moffat, who talks with me about following Russell T Davies on the series, Tintin, why Doctor Who endures, and Sherlock, among other things. (Click here to read more from my one-on-one interview with Matt Smith.)

Televisionary: Was there a lot of pressure taking up the reins from Russell T Davies and rebooting the series?

Steven Moffat: There’s a lot of pressure making 13 episodes of this kind of show by any standards. Taking over from Russell isn’t a particular thing I think about, to be honest. You’re taking over from an awful lot of people when you’re taking over on Doctor Who. They’ve been making the show since 1963! So that wasn’t the first thing on my mind at all. But it’s very exciting. People keep asking me about the pressure. It’s a very, very exciting job. I’m not going to waste time feeling pressured about it. There’s enough to worry about without worrying about that.

Televisionary: You were originally attached to write three scripts for Steven Spielberg’s Tintin trilogy but opted to focus on Doctor Who. Can you explain the draw that the Doctor had for you?

Moffat: I’ve always been fascinated with Doctor Who so to be offered that job. Two: the movie business, while I love it dearly and all that, isn’t as good a place for a writer to be that’s why—I’m hardly the first writer you’ve heard of departing movies to work on a television series. Bluntly, television is a better place for writers to be, so it’s not such a radical decision, frankly.

Televisionary: Would you say that this Doctor Who is tonally different than RTD’s Doctor Who?

Moffat: Doctor Who changes tone every single week. That’s the truth. One week it’s a comedy, the next week it’s a romance, the next week it’s a horror film. We can do a musical, if we wanted. It’s not really got one tone but that’s for other, more boring shows than ours. Generally speaking, I suppose I fall back on this cliché of calling it a dark fairy tale and we probably pushed it more towards that storybook fairy tale feeling. But I feel that the most important central thing about Doctor Who is that its tone changes every week. It’s not the same show every time. It’s the same main character, the same main two characters, and it’s the same TARDIS. Everything else changes.

Televisionary: How would you describe the Eleventh Doctor in terms of him as a character? What makes him tick?

Moffat: First of all, really, really importantly, he’s the same man. There isn’t an eleventh Doctor. There’s just one Doctor, he’s just now got his eleventh face. So the fundamental things that make the Doctor tick haven’t changed in a very long time. If you put on different clothes, you feel and act differently. Can you imagine putting on a new body? That would change you even more. He’s altered in that sense and he feels and acts different... He’s both clumsy and graceful at the same time. Both elegant and a mess at the same time... The best thing about the Doctor is that he’s always a set of contradictions. You can’t quite nail him in a sentence and you shouldn’t be able to.

Televisionary: Why was Matt Smith the right man to take on the mantle of the Doctor? How would you describe him as an actor?

Moffat: Because he gave the best audition. [Laughs.] First and foremost, he’s an astonishingly brilliant actor. Within the industry, he was already tipped for stardom, absolutely was. It’s been a meteoric rise. People refer to him as an unknown but the truth is, barely out of acting school, he’d had major acting roles in the West End, major roles in television, already been cast in a movie. He was already tipped for the top, right from the off. That’s the first thing. He’s a proper star and a proper actor.

There was something about Matt, though he didn’t at the very beginning know the show very well at all, he just—-taking it off the page—-got the tone you need. The kind of actors we get in to audition for Doctor Who tend to be very, very high-level, very, very good actors. You don’t get any bad auditions for a role like this. It would be inconceivable. But you can miss the tone of Doctor Who, the playfulness, the joy of it, the energy of it and Matt just got that. I don’t know if it’s a matter of instinct or that he’s just a very clever man. He read the scripts, which was all he really knew about Doctor Who, and gave us, fully formed in that first audition, exactly what we were looking for.

Televisionary: When I spoke to Matt, he said that the Doctor was one of very few roles—the other being Hamlet—that a 60-year-old and a 27-year-old could both play. What is it about the character that innately allows for such flexibility and range?

Moffat: Just the simple and rather brilliant device that they came up with back in 1966 of regeneration. The Doctor, when his life is in danger, just creates a new body for himself. And when he does that, he’s not exactly the same man, he’s a bit different. He reboots himself into a new face and form. That’s what’s innate about it, a simple, brilliant piece of plot mechanics which enables the Doctor to be literally a new person.

Televisionary: We’ve seen many incarnations of the Doctor over several decades. Why do you think the character endures?

Moffat: To theorize about that, you’re talking about people like James Bond and Sherlock Holmes. I think you need a strong, clear, visually identifiable character. I think you need one where there can be different takes. There are different James Bonds, there are different Sherlock Holmeses. There are many different Doctor Whos. You have to have a character where it’s not static. It’s not that he’s going to date, it’s that he’s going to adapt to the modern age very easily and properly. But above all else, let’s be clear, Doctor Who hasn’t lasted for any mysterious reasons; it’s lasted because it’s really, really good. It’s really, really entertaining and vital and brilliant and I think, probably, the best character that television has yet come up with.

Televisionary: You’ve also got another project for BBC One coming up. What can you tell us about Sherlock?

Moffat: Sherlock, which I devised with Mark Gatiss and is being filmed at the moment also in Wales, is Sherlock Holmes but Sherlock Holmes set in the modern day. Not by any trickery; it’s not like he’s resurrected or any nonsense like that but we just do the stories but we relocate them in the modern day.

What Mark and I both felt was that the brilliance of Sherlock Holmes is getting obscured by all of the trappings of Victoriana whereas to the contemporary readers of Sherlock Holmes, it was sort modern and vital and now. Just taking all that Victoriana away, I honestly really think reveals the character, just what a great pate of character in Sherlock Holmes and Watson are and it’s a dream project for Mark and I. We’ve been talking about it for years and finally my wife, who is producing it, made us sit down and get on with it.

I’ve seen quite a bit of it now and I think it’s absolutely astonishing. The director, Paul McGuigan, directed Gangster Number 1 and Lucky Number Slevin. I think it’s a really remarkable piece of work and I’m just thrilled by it.

You can read the finished feature for The Daily Beast here, and Part Two of this series, the rest of my interview with the Doctor himself, Matt Smith, can be found here.

Doctor Who premieres Saturday at 9 pm ET/PT on BBC America.

Secrets and Shadows: An Advance Review of Steven Moffat's Doctor Who

Fairy tales are funny things.

Ostensibly stories for children, they manage to capture that incredible sense of wonderment and awe that we all have when we are younger, as well as darkness and terror, a fear of the things that go bump in the night.

When I spoke to Matt Smith and Steven Moffat a few weeks ago for a feature I wrote on the new iteration of Doctor Who--which launches Stateside this Saturday on BBC America--both of them described this new Doctor Who as a "dark fairy tale," and, having seen the magical first two episodes, I can say that the comparison is particularly apt.

Under new head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat, Doctor Who has been transformed. 27-year-old Matt Smith has stepped into the role of 900-year-old Time Lord the Doctor with an equal mix of relish and madcap verve and he's joined in the TARDIS (which itself gets a facelift, along with the Doctor's trademark sonic screwdriver) by Scottish actress Karen Gillan, who plays new companion Amy Pond.

While I have an eternal love for David Tennant's Tenth Doctor (as fans of this site will undoubtedly know), I do have to say that Smith's Doctor is remarkable: at once mad scientist, man-child, and manic magician rolled into one.

I don't want to reveal too much about the plot of these first few episodes because Doctor Who truly thrives when it surprises. And these first two installments offer much in the way of surprise and tantalizing thrills. In other words: they have to be seen in order to truly feel just what Moffat, Smith, Gillan, and Co. are trying to achieve here. But I will say that Smith's charm, poise, and quirkiness are one of the series' best weapons.

In just his first scene--where he attempts to sample an array of food in order to settle into his newly regenerated body (culminating in a stomach-churning combination of custard and fish sticks)--Smith wins you over through sheer force of will, effortlessly offering the very best aspects of Tennant's Doctor with new twists of his own. The result is one that pays homage to Tennant (he wears his cast-off wardrobe for the first 45 minutes or so) while setting up the Eleventh Doctor as a separate entity in his own right.

It's not an easy feat to follow in the footsteps of David Tennant but Smith proves that he's more than up to the task. His Doctor is at once all wide-eyed wonder and haughty tutor rolled into one: a creature of paradox whose knowledge is only ever truly appreciated when he's in the company of another.

Which brings us then to Gillan's Amy Pond. I don't want to give too much away about Amy but I will say that Gillan's spin on the role of the companion is one for the ages, offering a character that's not only different than Billie Piper's Rose, Freema Agyeman's Martha, and Catherine's Tate's Donna but who is uniquely connected to the Doctor in a way that no other companion has been.

A Scottish girl in an English village, Amy shares the outsider status of the Doctor, exploring the notion of belonging or not belonging, of sharing a home but not having one. There's immediately a simpatico spirit between the two travelers, a connection forged in a sense of being the Other, with its roots in the series' dark fairy tale aura. She's plucky, resourceful, and secretive, keeping something vital from the Doctor that might have changed his offer to her to travel the stars with him. (You'll have to watch to find out just what that is as well as the circumstances of their first meeting.)

The first episode, "The Eleventh Hour," written by Steven Moffat and directed by Adam Smith, is a staggering beautiful introduction to the new Doctor Who, a one-off mystery caper that at once sets up the new characters while exploring the small English village that Amy lives in, a village that conceals a dangerous creature known as Prisoner Zero, whose presence might spell doom for the entire planet. (My only complaint is that Prisoner Zero is far more terrifying when he's not seen than when he is. Which I promise will make more sense when you see the episode.) The installment deliciously sets up that overarching fairy tale sensation, offering a plot that is at once exciting and utterly heartbreaking. It seems that even a Time Lord is a prisoner to time itself...

The second episode, "The Beast Below," written again by Moffat and directed this time by Andrew Gunn, offers the first real adventure for the Doctor and Amy Pond as they travel to the far future and encounter a Great Britain that is little more than a metal spaceship amid the stars. But this ship and its seemingly docile society hide a dangerous and horrific secret. Look for Sophie Okenedo in a fantastic guest starring role as the mysterious Liz Ten, and for Amy to prove her worth to the Doctor.

Moffat's Doctor Who seems to have retained the sense of awe and beauty of Russell T Davies' run but has replaced some of the--for wont of a better word--silliness of some of those episodes with a darkness and grit. Fairy tales aren't always upbeat stories of magic and mirth but are often cautionary tales that explore the darker impulses of human nature. They might be intended for children but that doesn't mean that they are exclusively created for children.

In the hands of Moffat--the writer of some of Doctor Who's most beloved installments including "Blink" and "The Girl in the Fireplace"--the series becomes a winning mix of light and dark, adventure and heartache, home and away, the past and the future. Based on these early episodes, Moffat's tenure promises to be a legendary run on Doctor Who, filled with fire and spirit, joie de vivre and madness. In other words: exactly what the Doctor ordered.





Doctor Who launches Saturday at 9 pm ET/PT on BBC America.

Eleventh Hour: Countdown to "Doctor Who"

"Follow me through time and space."

Anticipation is building to a fever pitch as the countdown until the launch of the new Doctor Who continues, with UK residents very luckily getting the first episode of the Steven Moffat-executive produced Who--starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan--on Saturday. (Those of us in the US will have to wait until April 17th, when BBC America launches Doctor Who.)

Until then, some clips to sate your appetite, including the first 35-seconds or so of the Doctor Who premiere, entitled "Eleventh Hour," the first full-length episode featuring Matt Smith's Eleventh Doctor, and a look at the Doctor battling some vampires in Venice from the sixth episode, "Vampires in Venice."

(You can also read my interview with Doctor Who's Matt Smith and Steven Moffat over at The Daily Beast here.)

It looks like the Doctor has his hands full when "Eleventh Hour" begins, as you can see from the clip below.

Doctor Who: "Eleventh Hour":



My favorite bit from the next clip: "Hello, handsome!" Here's a look at the sixth episode of the upcoming season, which finds the Doctor battling some rather pale, beautiful girls, in an episode written by Toby Whithouse (Being Human). Keep your eye on the library card...

Doctor Who: "Vampires in Venice":



And, finally, here's the latest trailer for Doctor Who from BBC America:



Doctor Who launches tomorrow on BBC One and on April 17th on BBC America.

The Daily Beast: "The New Doctor Who"

Doctor Who returns this month on BBC One and BBC America with a new Doctor (Matt Smith), a new companion (Karen Gillan), and a new head writer (Steven Moffat).

Looking to learn more about what's new and what's remained eternally the same? Head over to The Daily Beast to read my latest piece, entitled "The New Doctor Who."

I spoke to new series star Matt Smith and new head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat about the Doctor, Amy Pond, the Doctor's wardrobe, what makes this Doctor Who different, what's next for the iconic time-traveler, and much more.

Head to the comments section to discuss your take on what Smith and Moffat have to say, your take on the Eleventh Doctor, and anything else that springs to mind.

Or as the Doctor himself would say, "Geronimo!"

Doctor Who launches Saturday, April 2nd on BBC One and Saturday, April 17th on BBC America.

Secrets and Shadows: BBC America Unveils New "Doctor Who" Trailer

Digital cabler BBC America today unveiled its newest promotional trailer for Doctor Who, which launches April 17th in the US.

Starring Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, this new Doctor Who finds Smith tacking up the mantle of the Doctor, a 900-plus-year-old traveler from a vanquished planet who travels through time and space in his TARDIS. Joining the Eleventh Doctor is Gillan's Amy Pond as the dual-hearted time traveler's latest assistant. Plus, Steven Moffat comes on board as the new head writer/executive producer. Having written such standout installments as "Blink," "The Girl in the Fireplace," and "Silence in the Library," among others, I can't wait to see just what he gets up to when he's at the reins.

You can watch the full minute-long promo below as we begin to count down the days before the new Doctor takes to the sky.



Doctor Who premieres Saturday, April 17th at 9 pm ET/PT on BBC America.

The Daily Beast: "15 Reasons to Watch TV This Spring"

Looking for something to watch this spring?

Head over to The Daily Beast, where you can read my latest piece, "15 Reasons to Watch TV This Spring," where I round up fifteen new and returning series airing this spring--from Doctor Who, V, Nurse Jackie, and Fringe to Treme, Peep Show, and Top Chef Masters, among others--as well as some major events like the end of ABC's Lost in May.

What are you most looking forward to this spring and what's caught your fancy as your latest television obsession? Head to the comments section to discuss.

Channel Surfing: Michael Trucco to "Castle," More "Doctor Who" on Tap, Nestor Carbonell Talks "Lost," Skeet Ulrich Returns to CBS, "24," and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Battlestar Galactica's Michael Trucco--next seen on ABC's V this spring--hs signed on for a multiple-episode story arc on ABC's Castle. Trucco will play a new love interest for Stana Katic's Beckett in the final four episodes of this season and is described as a "charismatic cop in the homicide division." Ausiello also indicates that, if the character clicks with the audience, he could return next season. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

BBC has ordered a sixth season of sci-fi series Doctor Who, which will once again feature Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor. The broadcaster confirmed that Smith will return for Season Six of Doctor Who and that a Christmas special, written by new head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat, is on tap for this winter. (Broadcast)

TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams talks with Lost's Nestor Carbonell, slated to get his own Richard-centric episode of the ABC drama series on Tuesday. In a video interview, she asks him whether Richard Alpert will team up with Ben, whether the Man in Black can really be trusted, and more. (TVGuide.com)

Skeet Ulrich (Jericho) is headed back to CBS, this time set to star in the network's untitled Hannah Shakespeare medical drama pilot, about a medical team that travels the country helping the less fortunate. Ulrich will play Billy Jost, described as "a Harvard-educated brilliant cardiologist with rock star looks who embraces the tumult of frequent volunteer missions to escape the hell of his personal life" who is "still in love with his ex-wife, now a hopeless junkie, and is holding out hope that she may clean up and come back to him and their six-year-old daughter." He joins a cast that includes Amy Smart, Janeane Garofalo, Rachelle Lefevre, Jay Hernandez, and Michael Beach. (Hollywood Reporter)

Looks like these are indeed the end times for FOX's 24, according to Entertainment Weekly's Lynette Rice, citing a recent casting call for the 20th Century Fox Television-produced drama series, which read, "These are the final episodes, so if some of your name people would like to do something on the show, this is the time for them to do it." [Editor: that sure seems final to me.] (Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider)

Beau Bridges (My Name is Earl) has been cast opposite Dermot Mulroney in NBC drama pilot Rockford Files, which is being overseen by House creator David Shore. Bridges will play Rocky, father to Mulroney's Jim Rockford, who is described as "a truck driver for thirty years who always helps his son in a tough situation, though he tends to offer a commentary that Jim doesn't always appreciate." (Hollywood Reporter)

In other casting news, Ashley Tisdale (High School Musical) has signed on to star opposite Aly Michalka in the CW drama pilot Hellcats, where she will play Sierra, described as "the peppy and fiercely intense captain of the Hellcats who, after an initial clash with Marti, her new roommate, realizes that she just might be the godsend the Hellcats need to win the championship." (Hollywood Reporter)

The Wrap's Josef Adalian explores why viewing figures have fallen off so sharply for once mighty tentpole series... and why no new series have risen up to take over for them. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that Jesse Williams will be returning to ABC's Grey's Anatomy, where he will be reprising his role as Jackson Avery during the 2010-11 season. (TV Guide Magazine)

Oprah Winfrey's April 7th episode will feature the cast of Glee as Winfrey interviews the cast and co-creator Ryan Murphy. The episode will also feature backstage videos and a musical performance from the cast, who are slated to appear at the White House the day before. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Sayonara, CNN. Longtime cable news network correspondent Christiane Amanpour is heading to ABC, where she will join the network's This Week as anchor beginning in August. (Variety)

Sarah Palin's Alaska is inching its way closer to reality, with A&E and Discovery Communications said to be interested in acquiring the rights to Palin's reality series, which is executive produced by Mark Burnett. (Hollywood Reporter)

Modern Family's Sofia Vergara wants Italian icon Sophia Loren to play her mother on the ABC comedy series. "My mother should be Sophia Loren, don’t you think?" Vergara told TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck. "She would be perfect. I met her for the first time at the Golden Globes this year. I arrived to rehearse the day before and we ended up waiting together backstage. I was dying. I thought I was going to have a heart attack. I couldn’t say anything." (TV Guide Magazine)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that How I Met Your Mother producers are looking to cast an actress to play a TV-movie actress who is herself playing Sarah Chalke's Stella. "Recall last May’s 'As Fast As She Can,' where Future Ted told us what happened to the woman who left him at the altar: She and Tony (Jason Jones) moved to California, where Tony wrote a hit movie The Wedding Bride," writes Ausiello. "Well, that hit movie is coming to the Mother ship — and Ted is not going to be thrilled with how he comes off." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Lucy Gaskell (Being Human) has been cast in BBC One medical drama Casuality, where she will play Kirsty Clements, a mental health nurse who "brings a breath of fresh air--and a bucket of attitude--to Casualty's beleaguered emergency department." (BBC)

CBS Television Studios has hired former FOX current programming executive Beth Miyares as VP of drama development. She will report to Julie McNamara. (Variety)

Cabler VH1 has promoted both Noah Pollack and Kristen Kelly to VP, series development and original programming, where they will jointly develop unscripted programming for the network. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Glau to Don "Cape," "Parks and Rec" to Lose an Actor, "Doctor Who" Companion, USA Orders "Facing Kate," Callis to "Eureka," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing.

It was only a matter of time before someone snapped up River Tam. Former Firefly and Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles star Summer Glau, who most recently appeared in a multiple-episode story arc on Dollhouse this season, has landed one of the leads in NBC's vigilante drama pilot The Cape. Project, from writer Tom Wheeler and directed by Simon West, revolves around a a disgraced former cop (David Lyons), framed for a crime he didn't commit, who becomes a costumed vigilante in order to clear his name. Glau will star opposite Lyons, James Frain, and Dorian Missick, and will play Orwell, described as "a cute and intrepid investigative blogger who fearlessly goes after corrupt cops and costumed bad guys" and who "gets physical and is quite capable of kicking ass." If that isn't a part made for Glau, I don't know what is. (Hollywood Reporter)

Los Angeles Times' Denise Martin talks to Parks and Recreation co-creator Mike Schur about Paul Schneider's planned departure from the NBC comedy, set to return for a third season this fall. "It was a combination of us always knowing that the character would always leave some day, the timing of this movie, and then sort of feeling like, well, the way the character's gone...we were all on the same page here and we decided to write the character out," Schur told Martin. "But the goal and the aim is to have him come back as soon as his schedule permits and as soon as the arcs we're writing call for it. We very much want him back and he has told us he very much wants to come back in the future. It really is one of those mutually beneficial situations. And we're hoping we can have him back in Season Three." And the door will definitely be open for Schneider to return as Mark Brendanawicz and possibly recur in Season Three. "He's going to remain in the world of the show in a way that not only allows but hopefully demands that he'll reenter it," said Schur. "He's not going to be killed in some weird accident." (Los Angeles Times' Show Tracker)

The Observer's Euan Ferguson has an interview with Doctor Who's Karen Gillan, who plays Amy Pond, the latest traveling companion to the Eleventh Doctor (Matt Smith). "To be honest, I wasn't really a huge follower of Doctor Who before I got this part," Gillan told Ferguson. "But having read the first episode I was utterly smitten, and with the character. Amy's a sassy lady, funny and passionate, and her relationship with the doctor has a really interesting dynamic... She has a love for him, a really deep love for him. But not romantic." (The Guardian)

USA has given a series order to legal drama Facing Kate, which stars Sarah Shahi. The cabler ordered eleven episodes (plus the 90-minute pilot) for the series, which hails from Universal Cable Prods. and was created by Michael Sardo, who will executive produce with Steve Stark. Series, which follows Shahi's Kate Reed as she leaves behind litigation for mediation, also stars Michael Trucco, Virginia Williams, and Baron Vaughn. (Hollywood Reporter)

Former Battlestar Galactica star James Callis--who will next be seen later this season on ABC's FlashForward, has joined the cast of Syfy's Eureka, which returns for its fourth season this summer. Callis will play Dr. Grant, a former resident of Eureka who is a romantic interest for Salli Richardson-Whitfield's Allison Blake. (Hollywood Reporter's The Live Feed)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting, citing multiple unnamed sources familiar with the situation, that 20th Century Fox Television, the studio behind FOX's 24, is in talks with NBC about picking up the serialized action drama should FOX opt to make Day Eight Jack Bauer's last. "A move to NBC — while still considered somewhat of a long shot given the hefty price tag — would likely delay 20th’s plans to launch a Jack Bauer film franchise," writes Ausiello. "From a production standpoint, 24 execs have long maintained that it would ne next to impossible to make a movie while the series was still on the air. Reps for 20th and NBC declined to comment." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

HBO's upcoming miniseries Mildred Pierce just gets better and better. The Todd Haynes-directed adaptation of James M. Cain's novel, which stars Kate Winslet as the the titular character, has cast Guy Pearce (The Hurt Locker), Evan Rachel Wood (True Blood), and Melissa Leo (Treme). [Editor: Also cast: James LeGros and Brian F. O'Byrne.] (Variety)

TVGuide.com's Kate Stanhope is reporting that it's looking likely that HBO comedy Curb Your Enthusiasm will return for an eighth season. "I'm leaning towards it, so I would say there's a good chance," said series creator/star Larry David, though an eight season is "not definite yet, but we're working on it." (TVGuide.com)

E! Online's Kristin Dos Santos has an extensive recap of the Glee panel at the Paley Festival this weekend, which teased Lady Gaga, more romance, new characters, more Kristin Chenoweth, and more. (E! Online's Watch with Kristin)

Zap2It's Marisa Roffman is reporting that Annabeth Gish (The X-Files) has signed on to appear on ABC's FlashForward, where she will appear as a guest-star during the back half of the sci-fi drama's first season. (Zap2It's KorbiTV)

Pilot casting roundup: Mary Steenburgen will star in ABC comedy pilot Southern Discomfort, where she will play the matriarch of a family whose grown children move back in with her and her husband; Carly Pope (Day One) and David Ramsey (Dexter) will star opposite Jimmy Smits in NBC's untitled John Eisendrath drama pilot (a.k.a. Rough Justice); Ian Reed Kessler (Sons of Tucson) has snagged one of the leads in NBC comedy pilot Friends with Benefits; Kerri Kenney (Reno 911) has come on board FOX comedy pilot Tax Man; Xander Berkeley (24) has joined the cast of CW drama pilot Nikita; and Odette Yustman (October Road) will play the female lead on FOX's untitled Adam Goldberg comedy pilot; and Lindsey Broad ('Til Death) has been cast as one of the leads in ABC comedy pilot Who Gets the Parents. (Hollywood Reporter)

Chris Parnell (Archer) and Horatio Sanz (In the Motherhood) will star opposite Jon Heder in Comedy Central's untitled multi-camera comedy about a man (Heder) who continues to chase his dreams despite failing miserably at everything he tries. Sanz will play one of his friends, an ex-convict, while Parnell will play a down-on-his-luck teacher. (Variety)

Colme Feore (24) is said to be in talks to star opposite Jeremy Irons in Showtime's upcoming period drama series The Borgias, where he would play Cardinal Giuliano Della Rovere, described as "Borgia's nemesis... who vigorously opposes Borgia's election as Pope Alexander VI and continues to tangle with him." (Hollywood Reporter)

Betty White is set to guest star in the season finale of ABC family comedy The Middle, where she will play "a school librarian who confronts Brick (Atticus Shaffer) over his failure to return numerous overdue books." (via press release)

Season Four of Showtime's period drama The Tudors, the series' last outing, is will premiere Sunday, April 11th at 9 pm ET/PT. (via press release)

Marsha Thomason (Lost) will return to USA's dramedy White Collar as a series regular, after she appeared in the pilot episode and the season finale. Move comes as Natalie Morales, who has recurred throughout the series' first season, will depart the Fox Television Studios-produced series. Elsewhere, Billy Brown (Star Trek) has joined the cast of FX's upcoming drama series Lights Out, where he will play Raymond "Death Row" Reynolds, described as "the current heavyweight champion and longtime rival of Leary (Holt McCallany)." And Gregg Henry (The Riches) has been promoted to series regular on HBO's comedy Hung, which returns later this year for a second season. (Hollywood Reporter)

Bobby Flay will serve as one of the judges/mentors on NBC's upcoming culinary competition series America's Next Great Restaurant (formerly known as United Plates of America), where he will search for a winning chef or businessman to launch a restaurant with. Casting is currently underway to select the participants on the series, which hails from executive producers Dan Cutforth and Jane Lipsitz. (Variety)

Warner Bros. Television has signed a new two-year overall deal with Privileged creator Rina Mimoun, under which she will develop new series projects for the studio and work on current series. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: Heigl to Leave "Grey's Anatomy," "Skins" Refreshes Cast Again, Tudyk Gets "Rockford" Gig, "Doctor Who" May Get Wii Game, and More

Welcome to your Friday morning television briefing.

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Katherine Heigl will be departing Grey's Anatomy for good this time, citing unnamed sources. "Series creator Shonda Rhimes has agreed to release the fast-rising movie star from her contract. It’s now up to ABC Studios and Heigl’s reps to hash out a final exit agreement," writes Ausiello. "After taking more than half of the current season off to make another movie and connect with her adopted daughter, Heigl was scheduled to return to the Grey’s set on March 1 to begin work on the five remaining episodes of the season. There’s just one problem: March 1 came and went and there was no Heigl." Long story, short: Heigl's final episode as Izzie has already aired and Heigl will not be returning to the set of Grey's Anatomy. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

UK network E4 has commissioned two additional seasons of teen drama Skins, the series' fifth and sixth, and has announced that it will once again replace the cast with new actors following the fourth season (which wraps up in the UK next week but has yet to air Stateside) and will hold open auditions next month. "Skins has always been about new talent, both on and off screen, and the decision to recast the series every two years is one of the reasons Skins stands out," said Channel 4's head of drama Camilla Campbell. "Now another group of teenagers will have the rare opportunity to be part of a British drama series that says something about their lives and is one of the most exciting shows on television. I can't wait to find out who they will be." (BBC News)

Alan Tudyk (V, Dollhouse, Firefly) will star opposite Dermot Mulroney in NBC drama pilot Rockford Files, an update of the 1970 private investigator series that is written by by David Shore (House). Tudyk will play Detective Dennis Becker, a friend of Jim Rockford (Mulroney) who is said to be a little embarrassed by his friendship with Rockford as the other cops all hate him. (Hollywood Reporter)

Take with a large grain of salt. British tabloid The Sun is reporting that Nintendo has signed a contract with BBC Worldwide to bring its iconic series Doctor Who to Wii and DS consoles later this year. "This has been in the pipeline for years," said an unnamed insider quoted by the paper. "We're delighted to have finally nailed down a deal. We went with Nintendo as they have huge appeal for families and Doctor Who is very much a family brand. The Wii console is key for us as it's something families play together." [Editor: Don't get excited just yet. I'd be extremely surprised if a game were able to be produced by this Christmas, just nine months away, as The Sun contends, should this actually be true.] (via Digital Spy)

Jon Voight (24) has signed on as one of the leads in FOX drama pilot Midland, where he will play a Texas oil tycoon described as "a gravely voiced titan equally at home in boots or a three-piece suit." Move marks the first TV series regular role for Voight. Also cast in the 20th Century Fox Television-produced pilot: David Keith (The Class), who will play the con-man father of Jimmy Wolk's Bob. (Hollywood Reporter)

Glee Live! In Concert! has added two additional performances for both the Los Angeles and New York City stops, with a matinee planned for each city. Los Angeles will get a matinee performance and an evening performance on May 22nd while New York City gets a matinee on May 29th and an evening show on May 30th. (via press release)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Arianna Huffington will guest star as herself on the May 10th episode of CBS' How I Met Your Mother. "Huffington will be a guest at a high-falutin’ New York party that Ted, Barney, Marshall, and Lily find themselves at," writes Ausiello. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that Jennifer Morrison will be returning to FOX's House, on April 12th episode directed by Hugh Laurie... and next season. "There have been discussions of me doing a few episodes next year based on what they end up writing," Morrison told Keck. "Contractually, they’ve guaranteed me a certain number of episodes next year - I think three or four, which means that they’re probably very much leaning toward writing a storyline for the character." (
TV Guide Magazine)

Constance Zimmer (Entourage) and Kat Foster ('Til Death) have been cast in TBS hour-long comedy pilot In Security, which centers on two sisters who inherit their father's private-security firm. The attachment of Zimmer and Foster lifts the casting contingency on the pilot. Elsewhere at TBS, Malcolm McDowell will star opposite Breckin Meyer and Mark-Paul Gosselaar in comedy pilot Franklin & Bash, where he will play the senior partner at the law firm where street lawyers Jared (Meyer) and Steven (Gosselaar) are hired. (Hollywood Reporter)

In other pilot casting news, Patrick J. Adams (Weather Girl) and Danneel Harris (One Tree Hill) have been cast as the leads in NBC comedy pilot Friends With Benefits, about a group of friends who are looking for love but settle for something else in the meantime. Adams will play Ben, described as "an Everyman who, while waiting for Ms. Perfect to come along, enjoys a relationship with Sara (Harris), a doctor trying to find Mr. Right." They join the already cast Fran Kranz in the 20th Century Fox Television-produced comedy pilot, written by Michael Weber and Scott Neustadter and directed by David Dobkin. (Hollywood Reporter)

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck has a first look at how Betty Suarez (America Ferrera) will get her braces off on Ugly Betty's March 24th episode. Hint, it involves a million-dollar bra, the Guggenheim Museum, and a collision. "I chipped my front tooth rehearsing this scene - and it hurt!" Ferrera told Keck. "I thought how incredibly ironic that I mess up my tooth in the episode where Betty's smile is supposed to be perfect and there are extreme close-ups of my mouth." (TV Guide Magazine)

VH1 has ordered ten episodes of docudrama The Tournament, which will follow Chad Ochocinco as he travels the country to find love with 85 women who will compete for his affects "via a March Madness bracket." Series, slated to launch in July, is from JUMA Entertainment and 51 Minds Entertainment. (Variety)

Production has begun on BBC One's three-part drama Sherlock, a modern-day update of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's iconic detective Sherlock Holmes, from writers/executive producers Steve Moffat, Mark Gatiss, and Steve Thompson, directors Euros Lyn and Paul McGuigan. Project stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Martin Freeman, and Rupert Graves. "Everything that matters about Holmes and Watson is the same," said Moffat. "Conan Doyle's stories were never about frock coats and gas light; they're about brilliant detection, dreadful villains and blood-curdling crimes – and frankly, to hell with the crinoline. Other detectives have cases, Sherlock Holmes has adventures, and that's what matters. Mark and I have been talking about this project for years, on long train rides to Cardiff for Doctor Who. Quite honestly, we'd still be talking about it if Sue Vertue of Hartswood Films (conveniently also my wife) hadn't sat us down for lunch and got us to work." (BBC)

Radical Media, the production company behind Sundance Channel's Iconoclasts, is said to be gearing up for more television development, including a docusoap following the dancers of the Miami City Ballet, the Oprah Winfrey-hosted Masterclass, and a series adaptation of Stephen Dubner and Steve Levitt's best-selling nonfiction book Freakonomics, which would "investigate a wide range of topics: from the inner workings of a crack gang to whether walking drunk is more dangerous than driving drunk." Project is currently being shopped to networks. (Variety)

The Wrap's Josef Adalian is reporting yet more changes afoot in the executive roster at Oprah Winfrey and Discovery Communications' nascent cable network OWN, with Jamila Hunter stepping down from her position as head of programming to segue into a new role at the network. Programming will now be overseen by three new hires: Rod Aissa, Michele Dix, and Drew Tappon, all of whom will report to COO Lisa Erspamer. (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

Nickelodeon ordered six new series, including musical Victorious, featuring former Zoey 101 co-star Victoria Justice, and renewed 16 series, from iCarly to SpongeBob SquarePants. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Channel Surfing: "Lost" Producers Talk Candidates, Nolte Circles HBO's "Luck," Cavanagh Lands "Edgar Floats," Delany Deal Done for "Body," and More

Welcome to your Tuesday morning television briefing.

TVGuide.com's Natalie Abrams talks to Lost executive producers/showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse about candidates, numbers, and the flash-sideways. "The concept of the candidates is really central to the final season of the show," Cuse told Abrams. "Jacob is dead so that leaves a significant problem for the people on the island. Who is destined to be the person who is protecting this place?" Lindelof went further, stating that we'll get answers in the next few weeks about why these particular people have been brought to the island. "One of the big questions of this show is: Why were these people brought to this island?" said Lindelof. "At least now we have some sense — if Jacob is responsible for bringing them there — that it has something to do with the fact that he's been observing them for quite some time. We now have information that he had this lighthouse, that he was able to see these people, look into their lives. For some reason, he chose them. We'll find out what that reason is in the coming weeks." (TVGuide.com)

Nick Nolte (Tropic Thunder) is said to be in talks to come aboard HBO's horseracing drama pilot Luck from executive producers David Milch and Michael Mann. Project, which will begin shooting in a few weeks, stars Dustin Hoffman, John Ortiz, and Dennis Farina. Nolte would play one of the country's top racehorse trainers. Meanwhile, Kevin Dunn (Transformers), Kerry Condon (Rome), and Tom Payne (Waterloo Road) have also been cast in the pilot, which will be directed by Mann. (Variety, Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Tom Cavanagh (Ed, Trust Me) has been cast as the titular character in Rand Ravich's NBC procedural drama pilot Edgar Floats, opposite Alicia Witt, Derek Webster, and Robert Patrick. Cavanagh will play Edgar Floats, a police psychologist who also works as a bounty hunter. "Edgar understands everyone but himself," Ravich told Ausiello. "Because of a personal financial crisis, Edgar is forced to leave the safety of his office and enter the dangerous world of fugitive recovery." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

[Editor: Cavanagh landed the role over former Friends star David Schwimmer, who was also reportedly up for the part of Edgar.]

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that a deal has closed that will enable Dana Delany to depart Desperate Housewives and star in ABC drama pilot Body of Evidence, with Marc Cherry writing Delany's Katherine Mayfair temporarily out of the series so Delany can have time to shoot the pilot, which also stars John Carroll Lynch, Geoffrey Arend, and Jeri Ryan. "The networks have become like the old studio system where they have their stable of actors," Delany told Keck. "They want to hold on to them and see what else they can do with them, so (ABC president) Steve McPherson said, 'Would you consider doing another show,' and I said, 'I love Housewives, but this is the lead role and something different.' It’s one of those bountiful things. I love the show I have, but they’re offering me the lead." But don't say goodbye to Katherine just yet: Cherry told Keck that he's leaving the door open for her return, should Body not get ordered to series. (TV Guide Magazine)

Rob Morrow (NUMB3RS) has landed the lead in Jerry Bruckheimer's ABC pilot The Whole Truth, opposite Joely Richardson. Morrow will play Jimmy, described as "an exuberant, larger-than-life, extremely successful defense attorney who is frequently pitted against Peale (Richardson), with whom he shares a fierce competitiveness, a passion for the law, and a mutual respect that has them carpooling together to sit on various panels even as they're duking it out in court." The casting on the pilot is said to be in second position for Morrow with CBS' NUMB3RS, which the network hasn't yet made a renewal decision on. [Editor: though it's thought extremely unlikely that NUMB3RS will return next season.] (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC's Castle won't be getting a trial run on Sundays after the network reversed its decision about giving the Nathan Fillion-led crime procedural the 10 pm timeslot on Sunday, March 21st after Desperate Housewives. "An ABC insider says that with the new Dancing with Stars cast getting good buzz, the network wanted to maximize the number of original episodes of Castle on Mondays," wrote The Wrap's Josef Adalian. "Airing a first-run hour on Sunday would've mean an extra Castle repeat in the show's normal timeslot." (The Wrap's TVMoJoe)

In other Castle-related news, Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that former Nip/Tuck star Kelly Carlson will guest star in an upcoming episode that's loosely based on NBC's latenight wars. Carlson will play actress Ellie Rose, a love interest for Nathan Fillion's Castle who is desperate to land a role in the film adaptation of his book. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Academy Award nominee Gabourey Sidibe has signed on to Showtime's upcoming dark comedy The Big C as a recurring guest star. Sidibe, who appeared in the pilot, will play "a smart-alecky student" in a class taught by Laura Linney's Cathy, "a repressed suburban wife and mother who reclaims her life after a terminal cancer diagnosis." Oliver Platt also stars. (via press release)

Brittany Snow (Gossip Girl) has landed a lead in David E. Kelley's NBC legal dramedy pilot Kindreds, opposite Kathy Bates. Snow will play the assistant to Bates' former patent lawyer now working a storefront law firm. Elsewhere, Sarah Wynter (Damages) has joined the cast of ABC dramedy pilot Cutthroat, opposite Roselyn Sanchez. She'll play a "Hollywood mom whose life is in shambles." (Hollywood Reporter)

Fancast's Matt Mitovich is reporting that Heroes' Sendhil Ramamurthy has been cast in USA's upcoming drama series Covert Affairs, where he will play Jai Wilcox, described as "the aide-de-camp to the CIA’s Director of Clandestine Services, Arthur Campbell (played by The O.C.'s Peter Gallagher)." Ramamurthy joins a cast that also includes Perabo Piper, Christopher Gorman, Kari Matchett, and Anne Dudek. "Considering Ramamurthy’s new gig and the conspicuous lack of screen time for Mohinder," writes Mitovich, "even if Heroes were to be renewed for one more season, he is not expected to return." (Fancast)

Jean Smart (24) has been cast in CBS' remake of Hawaii Five-O, where she will play Hawaiian governor Pat Jameson, described as "'a local Hawaiian with a Washingtonian's backbone' and a completely honest politician." (Hollywood Reporter)

Former Third Watch star Coby Bell has signed on as series regular for Season Four of USA's Burn Notice, where he will play Jesse Garcia, described as a "cocky, smooth, and sexy counter intelligence expert who has a chameleon-like ability to assume different aliases. He’s also able to read people instantaneously and come up with a character perfectly suited for preying on their vulnerabilities." Season Four is set to launch on USA this summer. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Dania Ramirez (Heroes) has been cast in a recurring role on HBO comedy series Entourage, where she will play a new love interest for Jerry Ferrara's Turtle. Lennie James (Jericho) will recur on HBO's Hung as love interest for Jane Adams' Tanya. Kenny Johnson (The Shield) will reprise his role as Kozik on Season Three of FX's Sons of Anarchy, where he will recur. (Hollywood Reporter)

UK fans of Doctor Who may get a chance to attend a regional premiere of Season Five's premiere installment, hosted by new series leads Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, in Belfast, Inverness, Sunderland, Salford, and Northampton, part of a BBC Outreach tour that will visit under-served communities by the BBC. "This is a great opportunity for the new Doctor and his Companion to interface directly with the people who matter most to Doctor Who: the fans," said executive producer Piers Wenger. "The chance to visit them in their hometowns will ensure that the 11th Doctor's maiden voyage is an utterly magical one." (BBC)

Spencer Locke (Cougar Town) has been cast in a guest starring role on the CW supernatural drama series Vampire Diaries, where she will play Amber Bradley, a contestant in a beauty pageant that also happens to feature Elena and Caroline. (Hollywood Reporter)

Starz's gladiator drama Spartacus: Blood and Sand is heading to the UK this summer, following a deal with Virgin Media's Bravo. (Broadcast)

NBC and Donald Trump have renewed their Miss Universe/Miss USA franchise rights for three more years, keeping the beauty pageants on NBC through 2013. (Variety)

Stay tuned.

BBC America Announces US Launch Date for Season Five of "Doctor Who," Two Weeks Behind UK Broadcast

BBC America today announced the launch date for Season Five of British sci-fi series Doctor Who.

Those hoping that BBC America would air Doctor Who within a few days of the BBC One broadcast may be slightly disappointed. The cabler has announced a launch date of Saturday, April 17th for Season Five of Doctor Who, a full two weeks behind the UK broadcast, which launches on Easter Saturday, April 3rd.

The new season of Doctor Who features a new head writer--Steven Moffat--who takes over showrunning duties from former executive producer Russell T. Davies, as well as a new cast as Matt Smith takes over the mantle of the Doctor from former star David Tennant. He'll be joined in the TARDIS by Karen Gillan, who plays new companion Amy Pond. (Guest stars this season include FlashForward's Alex Kingston, Hotel Rwanda's Sophie Okonedo, and 24's Tony Curran.)

"Britain has a tradition of reinventing its iconic characters, like James Bond and Sherlock Holmes - and Doctor Who," said Richard De Croce, Senior Vice President Programming, BBC America, in a statement. "In introducing the Eleventh Doctor, writer Steven Moffat is opening the show to a whole new audience, while serving fans with an exciting mix of inter galactic, time travelling adventures. We can't wait to meet his new Doctor!"

BBC America describes Season Five of Doctor Who as thus: "Travelling both through time and space, the new series has the mysterious Doctor and Amy Pond together exploring sixteenth century Venice, France during the 1890s and the United Kingdom in the far future, now an entire nation floating in space. The first three episodes of the 13-episode series have been confirmed as 'The Eleventh Hour,' written by Steven Moffat, 'The Beast Below,' also by Moffat and 'Victory of the Daleks' by Mark Gatiss."

The full press release from BBC America can be found below.

THE NEW DOCTOR WHO ARRIVES ON BBC AMERICA IN APRIL
Starring Matt Smith with lead writer Steven Moffat

New York - February 25, 2010 - BBC AMERICA announced today that the new era of the BBC’s iconic BAFTA-winning drama, Doctor Who, will make its U.S. premiere on Saturday, April 17, 2010, soon after the UK broadcast.

Doctor Who, BBC AMERICA’s highest rated series ever, continues its tradition of rebooting with new lead actors and creative team. Matt Smith debuts as the new, Eleventh incarnation of the famous Time Lord alongside a new travelling companion, the enigmatic Amy Pond (Karen Gillan).

“Britain has a tradition of reinventing its iconic characters, like James Bond and Sherlock Holmes - and Doctor Who. In introducing the Eleventh Doctor, writer Steven Moffat is opening the show to a whole new audience, while serving fans with an exciting mix of inter galactic, time travelling adventures. We can't wait to meet his new Doctor!" comments Richard De Croce, Senior Vice President Programming, BBC AMERICA.

BAFTA-winning writer Steven Moffat, creator of some of the most frightening and award-winning Doctor Who episodes to date, takes over as lead writer and executive producer. Writers for the new series include Richard Curtis (The Boat that Rocked, Love Actually), Chris Chibnall (Law & Order UK, Torchwood), Toby Whithouse (Being Human, Torchwood), Mark Gatiss (The League of Gentlemen, Sherlock) and Simon Nye (Men Behaving Badly, Hardware).

Guest stars include SAG Award winner Alex Kingston (ER, Flash Forward), Oscar nominee Sophie Okonedo (The Secret Life of Bees, Hotel Rwanda) and Tony Curran (24).

Travelling both through time and space, the new series has the mysterious Doctor and Amy Pond together exploring sixteenth century Venice, France during the 1890s and the United Kingdom in the far future, now an entire nation floating in space. The first three episodes of the 13-episode series have been confirmed as The Eleventh Hour, written by Steven Moffat, The Beast Below, also by Moffat and Victory of the Daleks by Mark Gatiss.

Moffat’s work includes the hit comedy Coupling, the critically-acclaimed thriller Jekyll, the new BBC series Sherlock and along with Edgar Wright and Joe Cornish, the screenplay for The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn - which is being directed by Steven Spielberg.

Piers Wenger (Ashes to Ashes) and Beth Willis (Ashes to Ashes) are the executive producers. It is a BBC Wales production for BBC ONE and distributed by BBC Worldwide.

Channel Surfing: Sackhoff Lands ABC Pilot, FOX Circles Arnett/Hurwitz Comedy, O'Quinn Talks Smoke Monster, Kreuk Gets "Hitched," and More

Welcome to your Monday morning television briefing. Loads of headlines to get through today!

Former Battlestar Galactica star Katee Sackhoff (currently co-starring as Dana Walsh on FOX's 24) has landed the lead in ABC's untitled Richard Hatem drama pilot, which revolves around a female detective (Sackhoff) who teams up with a disgraced former cop who has been framed and gone underground. Together, they solve crimes and attempt to unmask the conspiracy that ensnared him. Sackhoff, who last season starred in NBC drama pilot Lost & Found, had received multiple offers this pilot season before deciding to jump into Hatem's drama pilot. Sackhoff's casting doesn't shed any light on a possible Day Nine of 24, with producers saying that she could take this role should it go to series, even if 24 returns next season. (Hollywood Reporter)

Want a frozen banana with that? FOX is said to be thisclose to giving a pilot order to an untitled single-camera comedy starring Arrested Development's Will Arnett, who wrote the script and will executive produce alongside Arrested's Mitch Hurwitz and Jim Vallely, as well as Eric and Kim Tannenbaum, Peter Principato, and Paul Young. Arnett will star as a wealthy Beverly Hills resident who falls in love with a woman who can't stand him. The project nearly didn't go ahead at all after Sony Pictures Television stepped away from the pilot, citing cost concerns, but Lionsgate Television has stepped in to provide the deficit financing. Once that deal closes, FOX is expected to order the project to series. [Editor: I already have the script so will let you know what I think.] (Variety)

Entertainment Weekly's Dan Snierson has a Q&A-style interview with Lost's Terry O'Quinn about playing the Man in Black and the smoke monster. "It’s fun to play," O'Quinn told Snierson when asked about playing ol' Smokey. "I mean, it’s just totally different from whatever John Locke was. Bad guys have better secrets. And if he’s a bad guy, he’s got a lot of secrets. And that’s what frustrates people. When [Sawyer] says, 'What are you?' and Smokey says, 'What I am is trapped,' okay--you don’t pursue that question. Everybody else will go, 'Well, what the hell does that mean? Who are you? Come on, man!' But we’re going to have to wait until another week to find that out." (Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch)

Kristin Kreuk (Chuck) and Jack Carpenter (Sydney White) have been cast as the leads in Josh Schwartz and Matt Miller's CBS comedy pilot Hitched, about a newlywed couple who deal with their friends and family after their wedding. Project, from Warner Bros. Television, will also star Eugene Levy. [Editor: clearly, Schwartz liked working with Kreuk during her Chuck story arc this season.] (Hollywood Reporter)

Ugly Betty's Becki Newton received no less than eleven pilot offers this season but ultimately settled on NBC's romantic dramedy anthology Love Bites, from writer/executive producer Cindy Chupack (Sex and the City). Newton will play Annie, described as "an optimistic, infectiously bubbly social worker who is a virgin," in the series' loosely connected stories about love, sex, and marriage. (Hollywood Reporter)

Pitch perfect casting alert! William Shatner (Boston Legal) will star in CBS multi-camera comedy pilot Shit My Dad Says, executive produced by David Kohan and Max Mutchnick (Will & Grace). Shatner's attachment lifts the casting contingency on the pilot, which hails from Warner Bros. Television. (Hollywood Reporter)

Meanwhile, Bill Pullman has come on board NBC comedy pilot Nathan vs. Nurture, where he will play Arthur, the biological father of Jay Harrington's titular character, a heart surgeon who reunites with his birth father and siblings. Project hails from Sony Pictures Television. (Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Saturday Night Live is nearing a deal with Betty White to host the live comedy show for the first time. But there is one caveat: White wouldn't host by herself but rather would appear as a part of a "Women of Comedy" episode that would include several other comediennes, including Molly Shannon and potentially Tina Fey and Amy Poehler. (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Nicollette Sheridan (Desperate Housewives) has been cast as the lead in Ant Hines' untitled CBS pilot presentation, opposite Paul Kaye. Kaye will play a British sleazebag who moves to Los Angeles to reconnect with his estranged daughter after she has become famous. Sheridan will play the girl's stage mother. Elsewhere, Neal McDonough (Desperate Housewives) has been cast opposite Virginia Madsen in ABC's dramedy series Scoundrels, based on Kiwi series Outrageous Fortune. He'll play the patriarch of a family of career criminals who is sentenced to a prison term, which prompts his wife (Madsen) to push her family onto the straight and narrow. (Hollywood Reporter)

More pilot castings: Rachael Leigh Cook (Psych) has taken the female lead in FOX comedy pilot Nevermind Nirvana; Sean Faris (The Vampire Diaries) has landed the lead in Amy Sherman Palladino's untitled Wyoming project for the CW; Jere Burns (Surviving Surburia) will star opposite Laurie Metcalf in FOX comedy pilot Strange Brew (also cast: Aya Cash, Skylar Astin, and Mo Mandel); and Charles Dutton (Oz), Lea Thompson (Caroline in the City), and Jeff Davis have joined the cast of TBS pilot Uncle Nigel, opposite Gary Cole and Matt Jones. (Hollywood Reporter)

Variety's Jon Weisman explores the graduation hurdles facing Glee, given its locked-in high school timeline. "From the moment it became clear the Fox musical comedy would survive its first season, another dilemma emerged," writes Weisman. "Set in high school, Glee now faces a ticking clock that some in its genre have found energizing, others confounding." Weisman looks at other series that have faced the same situation, including Friday Night Lights, One Tree Hill, Beverly Hills 90210, and Gossip Girl. (Variety)

Jenny Bicks (Sex and the City, Men in Trees) has joined Showtime's upcoming Laura Linney-led comedy series The Big C as an executive producer/showrunner. Also coming on board: Michael Engler as co-executive producer. (Hollywood Reporter)

Take with a (very large) grain of salt: British tabloid The Sun is reporting that Gavin & Stacey's James Corden has been cast in a role on Season Five of Doctor Who, citing an unnamed source within the production. (via Digital Spy)

ABC Family has renewed drama series Greek for a fourth season of ten episodes, set to air later this year. (Variety, Hollywood Reporter)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Jake McLaughlin (Crash) has been cast in an upcoming episode of ABC's Grey's Anataomy, where he will play Aaron, the estranged brother of Justin Chamber's Alex who arrives at Seattle Grace as a patient. "The family reunion is rather momentous," writes Ausiello. "This will mark the first time viewers will be meeting a member of Alex’s troubled clan." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

FOX has yanked reincarnation drama Past Life off of its schedule, effective immediately. The low-rated drama will be replaced on Thursday nights with new episodes of Kitchen Nightmares for the next three weeks and then repeats of Fringe beginning March 18th. (The latter returns with new episodes on April 1st.) FOX, for its part, says that it will air the remaining unaired episodes of Past Life at some point during the season, most likely during summer... but seeing is believing, really. (The Wrap's TV MoJoe)

Elsewhere at the network, FOX has given a pilot order to animated comedy Brickleberry, which revolves around a group of forest rangers at a struggling park. Project, from 20th Century Fox Television and Fox21, will feature the voices of Dave Herman, Tom Kenny, and Carlos Alazraqui. it is written/executive produced by Waco O'Guin and Roger Black of MTV's Stankervision. (Variety)

Lack of casting has prompted ABC to shelve its comedy pilot Women Are Crazy, Men Are Stupid, based on Howard Morris and Jenny Lee's book. The project was picked up to pilot in December but lack of movement have led ABC to roll over the project to next year's pilot season, at which time it could resurrect the project. (Hollywood Reporter)

And 20th Century Fox Television has pulled out of FOX drama pilot Worthy, leaving the status of the project up in the air. (Futon Critic)

Scripps Networks' Fine Living will morph into the Cooking Channel at the end of May and will present culinary-themed programming featuring the likes of Rachael Ray, Bobby Flay, and Emeril Lagasse. (Variety)

NBC has teamed up with Procter & Gamble on two-hour telepic The Jensen Project, which would star Kellie Martin, Brady Smith, Patricia Richardson, and LeVar Burton. "Set in 1988, it revolves around 12 geniuses who move to an isolated spot in the Allegheny Mountains to form the Jensen Project," writes The Hollywood Reporter's Nellie Andreeva. "For 20 years, the group spend their time inventing ways to fix the world's problems and then share their discoveries freely and anonymously with the world. But when a few decide to take their latest invention, cash in and make names for themselves, it launches a cross-country race as the others try to stop them." (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

Everywhere and Anywhere: New "Doctor Who" Teaser Trailer Released

"Everywhere and anywhere. Every star that ever was... Where do you want to start?"

BBC One and BBC America have released a new one-minute teaser trailer for Season Five of Doctor Who, which is set to air this spring.

Featuring new series lead Matt Smith and Karen Gillan, who plays the Eleventh Doctor's first companion Amy Pond, the trailer depicts the duo cast into the time vortex, surrounded by some of the Doctor's most fearsome adversaries, including a Dalek, a Weeping Angel, a Smiler, and more.

Not to mention the classic Doctor "who?" pun.

You can check out the trailer below.



Season Five of Doctor Who will air this spring on BBC One and BBC America.

UK Cinemas to Get 3-D "Doctor Who" Trailer

Lucky, lucky Brits.

Broadcast's Will Strauss is reporting that UK cinemas will show a special 3-D trailer for Season Five of Doctor Who, which features new series leads Matt Smith and Karen Gillan... as well as new head writer/executive producer Steven Moffat.

The 40-second trailer, which will be converted to 3-D from 2-D, will mirror a new Doctor Who promo spot set to run this weekend on BBC One (and which will be made available Stateside by BBC America). It's expected to begin running in cinemas across the United Kingdom (as well as "external promotional screening events") in March.

"Doctor Who is the appropriate vehicle for 3D," said a BBC spokesperson in a statement. "It just fits. It’s a great way to introduce and showcase the new Doctor to younger viewers."

Season Five of Doctor Who will launch this spring on BBC One and BBC America.

Countdown to New "Doctor Who" Trailer Begins!

The countdown to a new trailer for Season Five of Doctor Who, set to air this spring on BBC One and BBC America, is underway as the two networks today released a new promo image featuring new series leads Matt Smith and Karen Gillan.

The duo, who respectively play the Eleventh Doctor and companion Amy Pond, hadn't yet been pictured together in an official promotional materials released by the Beeb, so this new image (pictured above) is the first time that the co-stars are featured alongside one another. (Not to mention along with some other familiar Who entities, including a Dalek and a Weeping Angel.)

And the aforementioned new Doctor Who fifth season trailer will be unveiled this Saturday by BBC One and BBC America, so mark your calendars, dig out your bow ties, and get ready for another look inside Season Five of the sci-fi series.

[Editor: I cannot bloody wait!]

Season Five of Doctor Who will launch this spring on BBC One and BBC America.

Channel Surfing: Justin Kirk Gets "Modern Family," "Top Chef Masters," Leslie Hope Returns to "The Mentalist," and More

Welcome to your Wednesday television briefing.

TV Guide Magazine's Will Keck is reporting that Weeds' Justin Kirk has landed a guest starring role on ABC's Modern Family but says that there is potential that he could recur later this season or next. Kirk will play Lee Keizler, the "gung-ho and athletic boss" of Jesse Tyler Ferguson's Mitchell, who quits his stressful law job to become legal counsel for clothing line owned by Kirk's Lee. (TV Guide Magazine)

Bravo has unveiled the 22 master chefs who will be competing for the top prize on Season Two of Top Chef Masters, which is set to premiere on Wednesday, April 7th. Those chefs include: Jody Adams, Govind Armstrong, Graham Elliot Bowles, Jimmy Bradley, David Burkey, Wylie Dufresne, Susan Feniger, Debbie Gold, Carmen Gonzalez, Maria Hines, Susur Lee, Ludo Lefebvre, Tony Mantuano, Rick Moonen, Mark Peel, Monica Pope, Thierry Rautureau, Marcus Samuelsson, Ana Sortun, Rick Tramonto, Jerry Traunfeld, and Jonathan Waxman. [Editor: it's immediately noticeable that there are more female chefs competing this season and that there are some familiar faces--Mark Peel, Ludo, Wylie, and others--are set to return to compete once more.] (via press release)

Entertainment Weekly's Michael Ausiello is reporting that Leslie Hope is set to return to CBS' The Mentalist for the final two episodes of the season. Hope will reprise her role as psychic Kristina, last seen during The Mentalist's first season. "Jane tries to prove once and for all that she is a charlatan," executive producer Bruno Heller told Ausiello. "At the same time, [he finds] himself strangely attracted to her." (Entertainment Weekly's Ausiello Files)

Pilot casting alert: Andrea Anders (Better Off Ted) has been cast opposite Matthew Perry in ABC comedy pilot Mr. Sunshine. (Also cast: Nate Torrence.) Jesse Metcalfe (Desperate Housewives) has landed a role in Jerry Bruckheimer's NBC drama pilot Chase; Matt Jones (Breaking Bad) will star opposite Gary Cole in TBS comedy pilot Uncle Nigel; and Eamonn Walker (Kings) has been added to the cast of ABC drama pilot The Whole Truth. (Hollywood Reporter)

Frank Grillo (Prison Break), Luke Mably (The Prince and Me), Janina Gavankar (The L Word), and Chandra West (90210) have been cast in ABC's supernatural crime drama series The Gates, about the residents of a gated community, all of whom have their secrets. Series, from Fox Television Studios and writer/executive producers Richard Hatem and Grant Scharbo, is being eyed for a summer launch. Pilot will be directed by Terry McDonough. Grillo will play a cop from the city who lands a gig as chief of police in this seemingly idyllic community; Mably will play a cardiologist who is also a "vampire-like creature"; West will play the owner of a local tea shop; Gavankar will play a local cop with a secret. (Hollywood Reporter)

ABC has ordered a second season of reality dating series Dating in the Dark and has slated six episodes of the Endemol USA-produced series to air this summer. (Variety)

TBS gave out two cast-contingent pilot orders yesterday. Comedies In Security, from writers/executive producers Pete Segal and Ric Swartzlander, about "two sisters who head up a private-security team protecting the super elite while dealing with personal and family issues," and Franklin & Bash, from Kevin Falls and Bill Chais and Sony Pictures Television, about "two street lawyers and lifelong friends who, after taking down a white-shoe law firm in a high-profile case, are recruited by the firm's patriarch." (Hollywood Reporter)

NBC is said to be close to giving a pilot order to an untitled single-camera comedy from Mad About You creator Paul Reiser and studio Warner Bros. Television about a group of male friends. Reiser has written the pilot script on spec as well as scripts for subsequent episodes. (Variety)

Leverage star Gina Bellman would jump at the chance to work with Doctor Who head writer Steven Moffat, if she had the chance. "I think there was a petition online to get me involved in Doctor Who," Bellman told Digital Spy. "I'm not a Doctor Who fanatic but I am a Steven Moffat fanatic. I've worked with him on Jekyll and Coupling so if he was to write anything for me - not just Doctor Who - I'd drop everything to go and do that." (Digital Spy)

Comic book guru Stan Lee has teamed up with Archie Comics and A Squared Entertainment for series Super Seven, about "seven aliens who find themselves stranded on planet Earth after their spaceship crashes, only to be befriended by none other than Lee himself. Taking them under his care, Lee becomes their leader and enables them to resume their lives as superheroes on Earth." Series, produced by Lee's POW! Entertainment, is being looked at for a fall launch. (The Wrap)

TLC has renewed reality series One Big Happy Family for a second season, with twelve episodes set to air in June. (Hollywood Reporter)

Season Five of reality series Gene Simmons Family Jewels is set to launch on A&E on Sunday, March 21st at 9 pm ET/PT. (via press release)

Stay tuned.

CONFIRMED: Neil Gaiman to Write "Doctor Who" Script

Author and screenwriter Neil Gaiman ("The Graveyard Book") has been plagued for years by rumors about the long-running British sci-fi series Doctor Who.

Appearing [Thursday] night to give a live reading and participate in a question-and-answer session at Royce Hall (as part of UCLA Live's spoken word series), Gaiman was once more put on the spot and asked if he would ever write a Doctor Who script.

Gaiman's answer? He nodded emphatically.

While not exactly a confirmation, it's perhaps the most concrete answer those of us in attendance could have hoped for. Season Five of Doctor Who is set to air on BBC One and BBC America this spring and it's highly unlikely that Gaiman will contribute a script for the first season of newly installed Eleventh Doctor Matt Smith's run.

Whether that means that Gaiman will "ever" write a Doctor Who script remains to be seen but for those of us who would love to see the "Sandman" and "American Gods" author tackle The Doctor, it's at least something to hold on to.

UPDATE (2/6/10): After I posted the above yesterday, Gaiman himself confirmed the news at SFX Weekender, announcing that he would be writing a script for Season Six of Doctor Who. Gaiman's episode, currently entitled "The House of Nothing," will air in 2011. You heard it here first!

Channel Surfing: "Lost" Series Finale Date Revealed, FOX Has Had "Conversations" with Conan, "Doctor Who," and More

Welcome to your Wednesday morning television briefing.

Lost showrunners Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse appeared on ABC's Jimmy Kimmel Live last night and announced that the series will wrap its run on Sunday, May 23rd. "The reason I think that anybody even cares about Lost is that we announced an end date three years ago," said Cuse. "We are eternally grateful to [Steve McPherson] to end the show on our own terms and I think that made all the difference in terms of Lost being the show that it still is." (Hulu)

Entertainment Weekly's Jeff Jensen has an interview with Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse about some of the more specific plot points from last night's season premiere of Lost. As it's not yet aired everywhere yet (UK gets it on Friday), I won't quote anything from the piece but urge you instead to check it out. (Entertainment Weekly's PopWatch)

FOX's Rupert Murdoch has acknowledged that it has had "conversations" with Conan O'Brien about hosting a latenight show at FOX but said that no real negotiations have gotten underway. The comments were made by Murdoch as part of his quarterly earnings call with investor. "If the programming people can show us we can do it ... and make a profit, we would do it in a flash," said Murdoch about O'Brien. He went on to say that he was "sure there have been some conversations" but "no real negotiations" had taken place. (Hollywood Reporter)

Doctor Who Magazine has revealed the titles for the first three episodes of Matt Smith's run on Doctor Who, set to premiere this spring on BBC One and BBC America. New showrunner and head writer Steven Moffat has written the first two installments, entitled "The Eleventh Hour" (fitting given Smith's status as the Eleventh Doctor) and "The Beast Below." These will be followed up by the third episode, entitled "Victory of the Daleks," and written by Mark Gatiss. Other writers confirmed for the fifth season of Doctor Who include Richard Curtis, Gareth Roberts, Chris Chibnall, Simon Nye, and Toby Whithouse. (via Digital Spy)

HBO is developing an untitled political drama that revolves around a "young political aide and his relationship with his idol--the former President of the United States." Project, from Leverage, will be written by Ben Schwerin and executive produced by Stephen Levinson, Mark Wahlberg, and Doug Ellin. Separately, the pay cabler is also developing a project with executive producer Tim Gibbons that will be based on Pamela Des Barres' memoir "I'm With the Band." Zooey Deschanel is attached to star. (Variety)

Pilot casting alert: Billy Gardell (My Name is Earl) has been cast as the male lead in CBS comedy pilot Mike and Molly, from executive producer Chuck Lorre. Elsewhere, Harish Patel (No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency) has been cast in NBC comedy pilot Nevermind Nirvana, where he will play the father of two adult Indian-American children. (Hollywood Reporter)

Futon Critic is reporting that the fourth and final season of Saving Grace will return to the TNT schedule on Monday, March 29th with back-to-back episodes beginning at 9 pm ET/PT before it moves into its regularly scheduled timeslot of 10 pm ET/PT the following week. Southland, meanwhile, will wrap up its second season on Tuesday, April 6th. (Futon Critic)

The CW has ordered pilot presentations for dramas HMS and Hellcats and a full pilot for supernatural drama Betwixt. HMS, from writer/executive producer Amy Holden Jones and executive producer Hayden Panettiere, follows the freshman class at Harvard Medical School. Hellcats, from writer/executive producer Kevin Murphy and executive producer Tom Welling, is set within the highly competitive world of college cheerleading. Betwixt, from writer/executive producer Elizabeth Chandler and executive producer Paul Stupin, follows "'changelings' in an urban setting who are responsible for saving humans from evil." All three are being produced jointly by CBS Television Studios and Warner Bros. Television. (Hollywood Reporter)

Elsewhere, CBS ordered a pilot for drama ATF, from writer/director Michael Dinner, about "an ATF agent who hunts down the most dangerous criminals while trying to balance life as a dad to his teenage daughter who has re-entered his life." Project, from Sony Pictures Television and CBS Television Studios, will be executive produced by Dinner, Sarah Timberman, and Carl Beverly. Also on tap: a pilot order for drama The Quinn-tuplets, based on an Israeli series about five adult siblings who have had their entire lives documented on film. Project, from CBS Television Studios, is written by Mike Kelley and Chris Kelley (Swingtown). (Hollywood Reporter)

Looks like Oprah Winfrey isn't quite ready to leave behind her daytime talk show. Winfrey's nascent cable network, OWN, which launches in January 2011, will air Behind the Scenes: Oprah's 25th Season as a weekly primetime series that will depict the behind-the-scenes goings-on at the syndicated daytime talk show and focus both on Winfrey and other staffers. OWN also announced four additional series in development: Kid-napped, based on a British reality format about kids who force their working parents to spend time with them by taking away their Blackberries and mobile phones; Miracle Detectives, which follows a real-life believer and skeptic as they investigate mysterious incidents; Search, which follows people as they attempt to track down people from their pasts in order to find closure; and Sentenced, about real women in prison. (Variety)

CTV isn't waiting for CBS to announce an airdate for the co-produced drama series The Bridge, starring former BSG cast member Aaron Douglas. CTV will launch the series on Friday, March 5th at 9 pm with a two-hour premiere before shifting the series to its normal timeslot at 10 pm the following week. (Hollywood Reporter)

Stay tuned.

TV on DVD: "Doctor Who: The Complete Specials"

Prepare to say goodbye all over again.

I've only finally just gotten used to the idea that there won't be any more Doctor Who episodes starring David Tennant. Tennant departed the British sci-fi series after a handful of seasonal specials between December 2008 and January 2010 that depicted the Tenth Doctor locked in his final battle. A battle that resulted in the death of the Tenth Doctor and his regeneration.

Doctor Who has always been a series that not only endures after the departure of its lead actor but seems to revel in the new possibilities that an incoming actor can bring to the role of the Time Lord. Still, Tennant has carved out a sizable place in the ongoing mythos of Doctor Who for his portrayal of the lonely traveler and he'll be much missed.

BBC Video today releases Doctor Who: The Complete Specials, featuring David Tennant's final episodes as the Tenth Doctor. This five-disc set features all five of Tennant's Doctor Who specials, as well as a host of bonus material.

Each of the final five Tennant specials gets their own disk here, from December 2008's Doctor Who: The Next Doctor through the two-part swan song Doctor Who: The End of Time (Parts One and Two). It's actually quite nice to see each of the specials get some breathing space and warrant their own individual disks. Each of the specials really does function as its own mini-feature film, so there's something quite pleasant about them being treated as such rather than just shoehorned onto two discs.

Each of the specials is unique in plot and tone. Doctor Who: The Next Doctor finds the Tenth Doctor battling a steampunk robot in Victorian London and meeting a man who might just be his future incarnation; it's an adventure story about the price of vengeance and the power of loss. Doctor Who: Planet of the Dead is a caper story crossed with a tale of survival as the Doctor and jewel thief Lady Christina de Souza (Michelle Ryan) find themselves stranded on a strange planet with a busload of strangers with no way of getting home. Doctor Who: The Waters of Mars is a dark thriller as an alien presence invades Bowie Base One on Mars and the Doctor makes a decision that will haunt him. And the final two-parter Doctor Who: The End of Time (Parts One and Two) finds the Doctor fighting for his life as he is locked in battle once more with his greatest adversary, The Master (John Simm).

But the real treat here is the more than seven hours worth of bonus material that has been crammed into this release. Not only are there audio commentaries, deleted scenes, and episodes of Doctor Who Confidential, but there's also the Doctor Who at the Proms concert, David Tennant's video diaries from his final days on the set, and the entire Doctor Who Comic-Con panel from July 2009.

All in all, this is a must-own item for any fan of Doctor Who or David Tennant himself. With the fifth season of Doctor Who--starring Matt Smith as the Eleventh Doctor--set to launch this spring on BBC One and BBC America, there's no better time to say your final goodbyes to the Tenth Doctor with this incredible box set. Allons-y!

Doctor Who: The Complete Specials is available for purchase today for a suggested retail price of $49.98. Or pick up a copy today in the Televisionary store for just $36.99.